User Reviews for Hydroxychloroquine

Also known as: Plaquenil, Quineprox

The following information is NOT intended to endorse drugs or recommend therapy. While these reviews might be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care.

Hydroxychloroquine Review Summary

Reviews for Hydroxychloroquine to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I had very bad experiences with this medication . I now have permanent toxicity of my system and I also develop medically induced cataracts from this medication even though I have stopped taking the medication it will continue to try and rob me of my sight. eyes always swollen running very painful. every morning when I rise I look like a monster face full of fluid input all around my eyeslike a little Sacks of fluid. is there is help out there I would like some and I will like to know if there's a manufacturer lawsuit the information for this medication does not tell you about the damage that it does. now they are warning doctors to let patients know about this medication and the bad side effe and let them know if they want to take it."

"I was diagnosed w/RA 2014, put on Plaquenil on 10/2014, I delayed starting it out of fear, in March when I finally saw an actual RA Dr. & received answers that made sense and felt reassured, I started taking 200mg 2 x day. Took as prescribed for about 2 months, during which time, I began having the worst constipation! Severe enough where that pain was unbearable! I am a regular person when it comes to BM's, always 1x day sometimes 2! But when I went to 3 days and NO movement, just cramping and sitting on the toilet praying this would be the day I get relief. To top it off, I was not feeling any better with my RA. I had no relief from pain, aches, stiffness, numbing, fire, inflammation, it wasn't working"

"I started hydroxychloroquine (200mg 2xdaily) Feb 2015. It is now May 2015 and I feel no relief. My rheumy keeps trying to taper me off prednisone but as soon as I get off I flare up again. I'm currently pregnant with twins so my options for treatment are pretty limited. Obviously everyone is different but this drug has not given me any relief at all. Dr will be starting me on methotrexate after pregnancy. I'm 28 diagnosed Nov 14"

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I started this medication a week ago and have had very vivid dreams. I used to wake up with rib and hip pain/stiffness. I also couldn't relax and lay in bed because my body just felt restless. I would say that on day 2, I woke up almost completely relaxed and nearly no stiffness. I also started taking Celebrex on the same day, so I'm not sure if it's the combination of the two or one or the other, but I feel so much better. I am a 31 year old female and mom of a 1.5 year old."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"Feel so much better since being on Plaquenil since 2013. Always have reg eye tests. My inflammation level is only a 2 now and it was 39. Still feel a little tired now and then but I blame it on working 30 hrs a week. Hope this drug helps you too."

"I have been on Hydroxychloroquine for over a year. It has eased the pain in my hands for a while but the longer I am on this medication it is not working as well as it did. I am still having stiffness and pain in some joints. This is at 200mg x2 daily."

"I am 47 year old female who has suffered many years from chronic pain in joints! It's been along road to finally have a Dr. go out of his way to clearly confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Its not even been a week yet since hydroxyoquine was introduced to part of my treatment! Wow! I not conquered this journey all the way yet but I will. This medicine has improved my ankle and finger joints pain. It's only been a week! Yes there are some minor side effects but compared to the pain I was in over a week ago its incredible! Rheumatologist is the key! Great Care and the combination of two others is improving my life one day at a time! Don't wait! Ask your rheumatologist today what hydroxychloroquine can do for your rheumatoid arthritis."

"I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis June 2013 at 39 years old. The pain was unbearable and debilitating. I started taking hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice a day which didn't sit well in my stomach, extreme burning in the esophagus. Once I started using the brand name form of Plaquenil I no longer experience that side effect. I had my bouts of loose stool, nausea, and headaches for a few months but they have gone away. Plaquenil has done wonders for me, it does take a few months to really feel the benefits but hang in there it's worth the wait. My fingers don't feel like they are going to break off, I don't have pain all over my body and hurray no morning stiffness. I feel like a new woman. "

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I was diagnosed a month ago with rheumatoid arthritis. My doctor started me on Plaquenil 2 weeks ago. 300 mg 2x a day. I had to stop taking it after a week because it upset my stomach causing vomiting, nausea, and extreme diarrhea. My doctor tried lowering my dose to 150 mg 1x a day to no avail. I'm hoping that she can put me on something that will work better as I have been in extreme pain for over a year. I am 30 years old."

"I have taken Paquenil for rheumatoid arthritis about 6 months now 200mg once a day. I cannot stress what a miracle this medicine has been for me. It was so good that some days I forgot I had rheumatoid arthritis altogether. No pains at all. The only drawback was that I was losing my hair and it became became very dry and brittle. Being a woman that scared me so I quit the medication only to have the pains come back again. I spoke to my doctor and he said try taking it 3 times a week instead of every day to see if it cuts down on the hair loss. What good is a full head of hair if you are stuck in the house and in constant pain. I'll take loosing a few locks to be able to live my life pain free."

"I developed and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in November of 2011. I went on hydroxychloroquine (400mg 1 x per day), and my bouts of inflammation have dramatically decreased both in frequency and severity. I have experienced no side effects, and I can't say enough good things about this medication. Prior to getting on hydroxychloroquine, the affected joint inflammation was so severe (pain index 10) that I could not move whatever joint was inflamed. After getting on this medication, my pain index during inflammation flareups has been a 1-2. I also take 800mg Ibuprofen, and the combination of these 2 medicines have worked very well for me. At 47 years old, I've been able to play ice hockey and soccer in adult leagues (gotta do it now before this gets worse)."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I was told that I have rheumatoid arthritis a few months back. I have been on Plaquenil now for almost 2 months. It has helped with the pain in my hands and feet. I still have swollen fingers but am waiting for the full affects of the drug. I do not know how common this is but the side effect that I am having is hair loss. I am guessing it wouldn't be as bad if I was a male but being a female. I am hoping this stops after my body gets used to the medicine because I am very discouraged with that aspect."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I had very few side effects with this medicine in the beginning, but it didn't provide enough relief on days when I had to be on my feet for a few hours a day. It didn't remove all inflammation so I was taken off and tried on methotrexate, a lot worse side effects and no relief at all. I had no vision changes with Plaquenil and I would much rather have some relief than none. I was able to function with minimum pain with Plaquenil."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I have been taking Plaquenil for about 2 months. I started out with 200 mg/1x day along with Prednisone to treat my RA, slowly tapering off the steroids. Now I am just on Plaquenil.
I have to say that the pain is still there, especially in the morning and late evening. Sometimes it is difficult to fall asleep, but I gave it a 6 because it is nothing like before when I took no medication. Perhaps it works better for others? I still have the swelling and stiffness in the mornings, but, as I said, nothing like before.
It also only gets a 6 because the headaches I get while taking it are debilitating. I sometimes wonder if the trade off is worth it? They start about 30 minutes after taking it and last until I manage to fall asleep. Sigh."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"My 19 yr old daughter was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis this past year...her inflammation markers were off the charts. She took meloxicam for a couple of months, but it really hurt her stomach to where she couldn't eat. They put her on Plaquenil about 6 months ago...she is doing great. Recently had blood work and her inflammation is almost all gone...no side effects for her. I hope this medicine can help other people."

"This is the fourth medication I have tried for rheumatoid arthritis. I took it for one week and developed headaches and severe diarrhea. I had blood in my stool. I have had similar experiences with other medications."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in February 2012. Plaquenil has been the second medication we've tried. I've only taken it 1 week and have a horrible rash on both arms and on the backs of my legs. It has caused diarrhea and headaches. I have stopped taking this medication and am currently waiting to see what medication we will try next."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"My Rheumatologist prescribed this for my rheumatoid arthritis and it is like a miracle for me. For the first time in several years I actually feel like getting out and doing things without restrictions. The joint pain has lessened and my rash subsided! I do plan on making an appointment for an eye Dr. due to some irritations I recently have been experiencing. All in all, I would highly recommend Plaquenil and hope you can see and feel the difference."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 11 years and have been taking 400 mg a day. It is now causing skin discoloration in my lower shin now grayish back. I will be going off this. Have had no eye problems while taking this medicine."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I have been on Plaquenil for 11 months. It took 6 months to the day for it to start working and then, heaven set in. The pain diminished significantly. I have a flare up now, for the first time and wondering what to do. I've taken Aleeve, but no luck. I only seem to have a flare up during that particular time of the month, maybe something to do with water retention or hormones. Only side effect so far is upset stomach, take with food and in the middle of the day and much better."

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine):"I was diagnosed with RA in October 2010 and have been on Plaquenil (200mg 2x/day) and Celebrex (200mg/day) for 3 months now. I've noticed a slight improvement in my hands and fingers as far as morning/evening swelling goes but the stiffness and pain still persist. I go back to see the RA doc next week and am hoping he can either increase the dose or add something else to the mix because I'm still not feeling all that great."

"I have been on hydroxychloroquine 200 mg for 4 weeks. I can't believe how good I feel. I have rheumatoid arthritis. The tired and aching joints and welts on my body from has subsided. I feel like dancing. I still have a dull pain on top of my head. I have not felt this good in 2 yrs. Good thing."

"I had pain in my knees, feet, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Sitting down and then getting up again was quite painful, some days I could walk only very slowly. After 8 weeks of taking hydroxychloroquine and meloxicam, I felt much better, but my joints were still somewhat swollen. My rheumatologist was ready to put me on stronger medication. I asked to give it a while longer before taking that step, since I felt so much improved. After 4 months of tracking my progress, the doctor now says I won't need the stronger medicines. The hydroxychloroquine was just very slow acting for me. I am very glad my doctor was willing to work with me, and I recommend patience with this medicine. By the way, I've experienced no side effects to date."